Public funeral planned for Milton, Ont., toddler who died after he was left in sweltering car

Funeral for Maximus Huyskens, Milton toddler who died after being left in hot car, planned for Wednesday

The parents of a Milton, Ont. toddler will host a public funeral on Wednesday for their son, who died last week after he was left unattended in a car outside the family home for “an extended period of time.”

Halton Regional Police said the boy, who would have turned two this month, was in the care of his grandmother at the time of his death last Wednesday. His father, Marcus, was at work at a Milton audio-visual production company and his mother, Tamara, was at an appointment.

The couple also has two older children.

“They’re having a really difficult time,” said funeral director Rebecca Hunter. She said she had not seen or heard mention of the grandmother.

An online fundraising campaign had raised more than $1,500 for the family on Tuesday, in an attempt to “[ease] the financial hardship associated with this unfortunate accident.”

Last week police said autopsy results “were consistent with the ongoing investigation of the child being exposed to high-level temperatures.” A toxicology report has yet to be released and Halton Police have not confirmed a cause of death.

According to police, outside temperatures at the time of death hovered around 28 C, with the temperatures inside the sedan reaching 50 C.

No charges have been laid in case. The Halton Police homicide squad is continuing its investigation, as is its mandate in any death of a child under five years old.

The funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Milton. Ms. Hunter said the family chose to open the service to the public because “they understand there are a lot of people who cared about their son and deserve an opportunity to grieve.”